Interview with Rainer Krenstetter after his farewell with Miami City Ballet
Throughout his outstanding career, Rainer Krenstetter has danced principal and leading roles in most ballets in the classical and modern repertoire. Rainer published his memoirs entitled „ Not Without Tears – A life Lived Onstage“ this year. I was lucky to get a Zoom interview with Rainer in Miami when he was waiting for his flight to Europe.
Farewell performance with Miami City Ballet in April 2022 (filmed backstage) Rainer Krenstetter with Katia Carranza
Back in 2002, I was lucky to see Rainer on stage in Berlin, when Vladimir Malakhov became artistic director of Staatsballett Berlin. I will never forget watching him dance as Loge, the God of fire in RING UM DEN RING by Maurice Béjart, as Lenski in John Cranko’s ONEGIN, or as Tschaikovsky in Boris Eifman’s ballet. I’ve also been lucky enough to interview Rainer on his career as principal dancer with the Miami City Ballet. So I couldn’t wait for his memoir when it was released in the spring of 2022.
„For me, it’s really rewarding to give back and help train the next generation of up and coming professional dancers. It‘s inspiring as I feel like I can remind myself of things you tend to forget about in your daily professional routine.“
„By playing the right rhythmical or melodic pattern to support the movement and constantly adjusting to what is the need of the dancer. Above all of this the music needs to be beautiful!“
Interview with Nicole Stalker, Ballerina with Miami City Ballet and Yoga Teacher
What are your plans for the summer?
I am so looking forward to spending 3 weeks in Tampa teaching for Next Generation Ballet’s Summer Intensive! I will teach young dancers between the ages 12 – 18 from July 5-23, 6 days a week, 3 to 4 classes a day.
I’m creating a small series for my blog to give my favourite dancers the opportunity to talk about their experiences, motivation and daily routines nowadays. As you all know, it must be so tough for dancers to train hard every single day in isolation and stay in top shape, not knowing when the next performance is going to be.
Rainer Krenstetter, principal with the Miami City Ballet since 2014
I will never forget Rainer’s character in THE RING in 2007, where he interpreted uniquely and impressingly the LOGE, the storyteller in Maurice Béjart’s outstanding choreography. And there are so many gorgeous performances I’ve seen from Rainer that still stick with me today.
Interview with Rainer Krenstetter, principal dancer of the Miami City Ballet, since 2014
Rainer tells us about how to survive as a dancer in times of corona.
You are doing live stream dance classes on Instagram for intermediate and advanced dancers as well as private classes. How do you go about teaching online?
After everything was shut down due to corona, the Miami City Ballet started serving the community through educational and outreach programs throughout Miami, Florida and even worldwide. MBC offers online classes done by their highly ranked dancers. Our outreach program includes ballet basic classes, as well as stretching and strengthening classes for people more interested in Fitness, Yoga or Pilates.
MIAMI CITY BALLET PREMIERESGEORGE BALANCHINE AND JEROME ROBBINS’ FIREBIRD.
Featuring Igor Stravinsky’s sublime score and all new set and costume designs. Plus, the company premiere of Justin Peck’s Rodeo: Four Dance EpisodesandTwyla Tharp’s Nine Sinatra Songs.
Firebird is a magical, fantastical fairy tale which is not shown very often. I just saw it once and loved it. It’s different from SWAN LAKE – but both are romantic story ballets about birds. Four Dance Episodes and Nine Sinatra Songs looks like a perfect addition to this triple bill.
Program
The opening of Miami City Ballet’s third performance of the season “Firebird” promises to be one of the company’s most exciting in recent history as it features two highly anticipated premieres: Firebird, which marks the first time any company outside of New York City Ballethas performed the famed Balanchine/Robbins legacy piece, and Justin Peck’s critically acclaimed Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes. Twyla Tharpe’s crowd-pleasing Nine Sinatra Songs rounds out the thrills-filled program. Accompanied by the incomparable Opus One orchestra led by Gary Sheldon, the musically arousing, visually arresting Firebird opens Friday, Feb. 14 at the Arsht Center in Miami. Evening and matinee performances take place in Miami Feb. 14 – 16, West Palm Beach Feb. 21 – 23, and Fort Lauderdale Feb. 29 – Mar. 1.
Alive with color, excitement, and spectacular new sets and costumes created especially for MCB, Firebirdheadlines the enchanting program. Steeped in Russian folklore, Balanchine first brought his Firebird to life in 1949, when it premiered before New York City audiences. It is widely considered to be the ballet that propelled Balanchine to stardom. It notably featured three of Russia’s most iconic artists: George Balanchine, Igor Stravinsky and Marc Chagall, who designed the sets. Chagall’s sets are, in large part, the reason why this Firebird has not been seen outside of New York. For MCB’s all new production, artistic director Lourdes Lopez tasked Wendall Harrington, aka The Queen of Projections and Anya Klepikov, a rising star of costume design, to bring this most celebrated fairy tale to life.
Hailed by the New York Times as, “compelling and mysterious” and “a masterpiece of musical narration,” Firebird tells the story of Prince Ivan, who, while out hunting strays into a mystical realm where the Firebird dwells. Deep in the forest, he encounters a princess and they fall in love. But mighty forces block their romantic dreams – Ivan’s true love is held in captivity by the evil sorcerer Kastchei. To free her, Ivan must battle Kastchei and his mythical monsters. He calls upon the enchanted Firebird, the only one who has the power to defeat this dark magic.
Then, a brilliant cast of 15 men and one female dancer will leave audiences impressed and inspired by the company’s premiere of Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes. Tony Award-winning Justin Peck’s ground-breaking choreography challenges conventions and showcases the power of Miami City Ballet’s exceptional male dancers. The young work has “made many people rejoice to be watching dance in the 21st” and “gives new life to classic American music by Aaron Copland.” (New York Times)
The best of Frank Sinatra’s swinging hits—including “My Way,” “That’s Life” and “One for My Baby (One More For The Road)”— captivate audiences in the popular nostalgic work of Twyla Tharp’s Nine Sinatra Songs. Proved to be a mainstay in the repertoire of professional dance companies worldwide, Nine Sinatra Songs promises elegance and glamour with seven swirling couples in costumes by Oscar de la Renta.
Source: website miamicityballet.org
LOCATIONS
Arsht Center: Friday, February 14, 2020, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, February 15, 2020, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, February 16, 2020, 2 p.m.
Kravis Center: Friday, February 21, 2020, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, February 22, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, February 23, 2020, 1 p.m.
Broward Center: Saturday, February 29, 2020, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 1, 2020, 2 p.m.
TICKETS
Tickets start at $30 and are available for purchase at miamicityballet.org, by phone.
Rainer Krenstetter, principal dancer of the Miami City Ballet talks about his experiences in the US
Back when Rainer Krenstetter was a member of the ballet company of Staatsballett Berlin, I often had the opportunity to watch him perform. I was completely fascinated by his brilliant technique and elegance, and I will never forget Béjart’s masterpiece “RING UM DEN RING”, where Rainer delivered an outstanding performance in the role of Loge.
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